“The suspension of the Mtavari Arkhi is occurring on the instructions of Gvaramia and by the arbitrary, illegal decision of the Mtavari Arkhi’s General Director, to discredit me; they are publishing a statement as if I am suspending the Mtavari Arkhi,” Zaza Okuashvili, one of the founders of the Mtavari Arkhi, said in a statement.

“The Mtavari Arkhi must continue to operate smoothly and legally,” Okuashvili declares.

“At a time when, on the one hand, there is a tense situation in Georgia and, on the other hand, I have court proceedings in London and Stockholm against Ivanishvili and his government, Nika Gvaramia, through deliberately planned actions, is forcing me to engage in retaliatory statements. The suspension of the Mtavari Arkhi is happening at Gvaramia’s instructions and by the arbitrary, illegal decision of the Mtavari Arkhi General Director. To discredit me, they are publishing a statement as if I am suspending the Mtavari Arkhi’s broadcast.

Before the broadcast was suspended and this statement was released, the Mtavari Arkhi offered me a deal: pay 1 million, if the director I nominated, Giorgi Kurdadze, would declare to the National Bank and the Prosecutor’s Office that he no longer believed any illegal activities had taken place on the channel.

Furthermore, Giorgi Kurdadze was required to sign illegal documents. If he refused, their campaign against me would intensify. My demand, as the founder, remains: stop the illegal financial operations at Mtavari Arkhi, end the embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering, and replace the General Director with a professional and trustworthy person instead of Giorgi Gabunia.

Nika Gvaramia’s decision to nominate his wife, Sopo Liluashvili, as General Director of Mtavari Arkhi is unacceptable to me, as the founder. The TV company must continue to operate with integrity and within the law. Moreover, the sudden suspension of Mtavari Arkhi’s broadcasting on Nika Gvaramia’s orders is a blatant disregard for legislation and the channel’s charter – a clear abuse of power that my international legal team, consisting of British and American lawyers, will dispute,” Zaza Okuashvili concluded.